Mechanical toy



Sept; 27, 1927. 16

. J. J. BECKER MECHANICAL TOY Filed Sept. 13. 1926 w- INVENTOR JOHN J.BECKER ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 27, 1927.

JOHN JACOB BECKER, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

MECHANICAL TOY.

I Application filed September 13, 1926. Serial No. 135,260.

be any arbitrary figure, but which is pref-' erably in the form of aclown, and which carriage member is so designed and so sup ports therotatable member, that a counterbalancing weight carried below the rotatable member causes the rotatable member, during the travel of thecarriage and the rotation of the rotatable member, to take on aforwardly and backwardly rocking or swinging motion, while this memberrotates.

Some of the objects of my invention are, to provide a toy of this typewhich is of simple and durable construction, of comparatively few parts,and of interesting and novel appearance.

Another object is, to provide a toy of this type which, when thecarriage is caused to travel, will by simple mechanical means effect arotation of the vertical rotor and simultaneously therewith effect theforward and backward rocking thereof.

Another object is, to provide a toy of this character which shall be ofsuch construction that it can be conveniently assembled for use,disassembled for repair or for transportation in containers, andeffectively supported on a travelling-carriage or cart, :30 that therotation of the vertical rotor and the forward and backward rockingthereof may be positively effected by the movement of the carriage orcart. 7

Another object is, to provide a device of this character having meanscarried on, onev of the carriage axles by which the rotation of thevertical rotor is directly effected and having secondary means,suspended below the axle, by which, synchronously with the rotation ofthe rotor, the rocking movement of the rotor may be effected as and whenthe carriage is caused to travel. 7

Another object is, to provide a device of this character having meansupon which the rotor. may be detachably mounted, so that a change ofrotating figure may be made as desired, without disorganizing theconstruction of the carriage or the rotating means.

Another object is, to provide a device of this character having acarriage member which is preferably of the two wheels or cart type, uponthe single axle of which may be carried or suspended, the means forsupporting the. rotating member and the means for actuating that-memberand the counterbalancing weight.- I

My invention consists in the particular construction, combination,organization, and arrangement of'parts, shown in the accom panyingdrawings, described in the specification and more particularly pointedout in the appended claims. f i i In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, showing the rotatablemember mounted upon the carriage, the arrangement of thecounterbalancing weight, the means by which the rotor is causedtorotate, andthe means by which the carriage may be caused to travel. Ii

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, taken on line 22 of Fig.1,- showing the arrangement and co-operative relations of the parts ofmy device referred to in the preceding description of Fig. 1. I

Referring to the drawings, in which like numerals of reference indicatecorresponding parts, 10 and 11 are a pair of wheels, fixedly mounted ona shaft or axle 12, which axle 12 rotates with and as the result of therotation of the wheels, as they are caused to travel across any suitablesurface. This movement may be caused by a push or pull given to the axleby an Operator of the clevice, by means of a forked handle 13, which isprovided, at its free end, with an eyelet 1 1, to which may be attacheda cord, or any other suitable means, by which the wheels may be causedtotravel. The forked handle 13, is provided with angularly bent armportions 1:") and 16, which are, at their ends, likewise provided withcollars 17 and 18, through which the axle 12 extends and by means ofwhich the forked handle 13 is mounted on the axle, so that the lattermay rotate withinthe collars as the wheels are caused to travel.

Mounted on the axle 12, between the ends 17 and 18 of the forked handle13 is a supporting framework 20, substantially a cart or carriage body.The framework '20 is swingably mounted on the axle 12, by means ofoppositely arranged openings 21 and 22 A in the sides thereof, throughwhich openings the axle 12 extends. Affixed to the axle 12, adjacent theinner faces of the opposite sides of the framework 20, are collars orwashers- 23 and 24, which rotate with the axle and serve as means bywhich the framework 20 may be held in operative position against lateraldisplacement on the axle 12, whlle at the same time, permitting theframework 20 to have a rocking or swinging motion on the axle when thedevice is operated in intended manner.

The framework 20 is of substantially inverted U-shaped design, having atop portion 25 and downwardly extending side members 26 and 27, which attheir lower extremities are provided'with angularly bent flanges 28 and29, between which side, memhere 26 and 27, and below the axle 12 andsupported upon the flanges 28 and 29 and in fixed relation to theframework 20, 1s a counterbala-ncing weight 30, provided to hold theframework 20 in operable position upon the axle 12, but to, at the sametime, permit it to have a rocking or swinging motion on the axle 12 asthe cart or carriage is caused to travel. The top portion 25 of theframework 20 is provided with a substantially central opening 31, aroundwhich, and forming a part substantially of the top portion 25, is anupwardly extending tubular section 32, to serve as a bearing throughwhicha member, later to be described, may extend and within which it maybe supported and permitted to rotate.

Mounted on the axle 12 is a gear 33, affixed to the axle by a pin or anyother suitable fastening means, so that the gear 33 will rotate with andbe actuated by the rotation of the axle as the cart or carriage iscaused to travel. Meshing with the gear 33, and disposed below the top25 of the framework 20, is a gear 34 which is carried on the lower endof a vertical spindle or shaft 35 and is fixed thereto, so that by themovement of the carriage and the rotation of the axle 12, the rotationof the gear 33 will effect the rotation of the gear 34 and cause thespindle 35 to likewise rotate. Between the gear 3 1 and the lower faceof the top portion 25 of the carriage framework, a washer 36*is providedaround the shaft or spindle 35 to bear against the inner face of the top25 of the framework 20, in order to afford a bearing for therotatingspindle 35 and .to retain it in operative position. Mountedaround the spindle 35, adjustably affixed thereto and rotatabletherewith is a collar or washer 37, which is disposed above the top 25of the framework 20 in contact with and bearing against the upper end ofthe tubular section or bearing element 32 in the top 25. This collar orWasher 37 is provided to cooperate with the collar or washer 36, toserve as a support for the rotating spindle 35 and to be adjustable soas to properly position the spindle 35 to effect the proper meshing ofthe gear 34 with the gear 33, and to aid in holding the rotating spindlein its vertical operating position.

The spindle 35 extends upwardly above the bearing and the collar orwasher 37, and thereby serves as a means upon which any suitable orarbitrary figure or device may bemounted so as to rotate therewith, whenthe carriage is caused to travel and by means of thegear 33 and thespindle is rotated.

I have shown in my drawings a clown figure mounted upon the spindleandarrangedto rotate with'the rotation of'the spindle. I have likewiseshown sound producing devices arranged atthe ends ofthe arms of theclown figure, and have indicated the clown as of a particular design andarbitrarily decorated; But I do not wish the fact that I have used aclown as the figure to be mounted on my device to be understood as thenovel feature of my invention, for I am aware that figures of othercharacters, such as a coon-jigger, a ballet dancer, or any other desiredarbitrary model, may be combined with my mechanism in place of a clown.It is to be understood however, that I utilize the washer or collar 37as a means of support, in conjunction with the upwardly extendingportion of the spindle 35, for such arbitrary figure as may be chosen tobe mounted uponthe spindle An important feature of my invention howeveris the fact that such figure as may be chosen to be mounted on thespindle shall be counterbalanced in weight by the counterbalancingweight 30, carried below the axle 12 in the framework 20, so that, asthe carriage is caused to travel and the wheels 10 and 12 rotate, andthe. axle 12 likewise ro tates, effecting the rotation of the bevelledgears 33 and 34k and the spindle 35, carrying the clown or other-figure,that the counterbalancing weight 30 shall be of such amount thatwhilethe rotation of the figure'takes place there will likewise occur arocking back and forth, in a substantially vertical plane, effected bythe counterbalancing weight-this action being substantially. that of adouble or inverted pendulum. i

It will be seen therefore, that I have created a novel device, in theform of a mechanical toy, in which, as the result of the travellingmovement. of the cart or carriage carrying the mech'anism by which afigure is actuated, that the figure is not only caused to rotate andgive the impression of a spinning dancer, but is simultaneously causedto rock forwardly and .backwardly,while the rotation takes place andsomewhat thereafter, and thereby creates the impression of. a doublemovement on the part. of the dancer, which would appear to besubstantially that of the spinning dance combined with a forward bow anda backward lean, andthat 1 gear 34 the no i therefore have producedmeans which creates a novel and amusing optical illusion and which willserve to amuse and educate children and others.

Having shown and described my invention in detail, I do not wish to belimited thereby, except as the state of the art and the appended claimsmay require, for it is obvious that various modifications and changesmay be made in the combination, construction, organization, andarrangement of parts of my invention, without departing from the spiritand scope thereof.

lVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a mechanical toy, a carriage including a rotative axle, wheelsthereon and an inverted one-piece U-shaped member freely swung on theaxle and having an integral, centrally disposed, upwardly directedtubular extension, the lower free ends of the sides of the inverted'U-shaped member being rounded and directed inwardly toward each otherto provide spaced curved weight supporting flanges, a weight having acurved under surface corresponding to the curvature of the lower ends ofthe sides of the inverted U-shaped member and supported at its ends onthe said flanges and sustained solely thereby between the sides of theU- shaped member, a vertical spindle extending through the tubularextension, an arbitrary figure secured to the upper end of said spindle,a gear mounted on the lower end of the said spindle, a gear on the axlein mesh with the gear on the spindle whereby upon movement of the toyover a surface the spindle and figure carried thereby are given arotative movement, said weight carried by said body causing a rockingmovement of the axle adjacent the inner faces of the sides of theU-shaped member to maintain the latter against lateral movement and tomaintain the U-shaped member spaced from the wheels, a weight having acurved under surface corresponding to the curvature of the flanges ofthe U-shaped member and sup ported on said flanges, a vertical spindleextending through the, tubular extension, an arbitrary figure secured tothe upper end of said spindle above the tubular extension, a gearmounted on the lower end of the spindle, a gear on the axle in mesh withthe gear on the spindle, whereby upon movement of the toy over a surfacethe spindle and figure carried thereby are given a rotative movement,said weight carried by said body causing a rocking movement of the bodyand fig ure in a vertical plane when the spindle and figure are rotatedin the manner stated, and a member secured to the axle in. embracingrelation between the U-shaped member and said wheels whereby to effectrolling move ment of the carriage. I

Signed at the city of New York in the county of Bronx and State of NewYork this twelfth da of June A. D. 1926.

OI-IN JACOB BECKER.

